


i can still hear them today (beautiful now)

by GreyishBlue



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward boys are awkward, Dream Sharing, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, everyone lives in the tower, free hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-09 09:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20992856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyishBlue/pseuds/GreyishBlue
Summary: The last thing Clint expects on a cold Monday morning is the newest resident of the tower plastered across his front, metal and flesh arms wrapped tightly around his chest. He blinks at his coffee mug like it might have answers, and when it doesn’t reply he uses his free hand to pet at Barnes’ back a little awkwardly.





	i can still hear them today (beautiful now)

**Author's Note:**

> Winterhawk Bingo Square - Dream Sharing
> 
> Title from an AFI song

The last thing Clint expects on a cold Monday morning is the newest resident of the tower plastered across his front, metal and flesh arms wrapped tightly around his chest. He blinks at his coffee mug like it might have answers, and when it doesn’t reply he uses his free hand to pet at Barnes’ back a little awkwardly. He settles his ass against the counter edge and continues to sip his coffee, just over a well muscled shoulder now. Barnes pulls back around the time Clint finishes the cup, and when Clint looks down he laughs, voice still sleep raspy. He didn’t pay any attention dressing this morning, and the Free Hugs shirt makes the last few minutes make a little more sense. 

Truthfully, the hug had been really nice, and he works out the words to tell Barnes so, but the other man is quickly retreating. Clint just catches the edge of a blush across the brunette’s features as he’s rounding the corner. He pours himself another mugful of delicious life giving caffeine and plasters himself to the communal area couch to drink it and try to ponder the morning’s developments. 

Clint’s been dreaming vividly lately, which isn’t necessarily new. Loki and the scepter had messed with his sleeping patterns and dreams like crazy. The new part is nearly every dream having a certain pretty-eyed sniper in a starring role. Instead of the blue tinted nightmares that plague him regularly, every dream with Bucky in it feels solid and almost normal. The scenery rarely changes, just misty iterations of places in the tower. It almost feels like they’re just hanging out, playing dream versions of video games or having electrifying dream shooting competitions. Clint figures that’s why he didn’t mind the other man in his space, it’s almost like they’re friends, even if it’s all in his head.

With that bit of his thoughts untangled, Clint finishes the last of his coffee and decides to head upstairs to shoot things for a while on the range. Once he gets there, in deference to other people existing, he pulls his sweatpants up enough to cover his hipbones again and reties the dangling strings. His head snaps up when he hears a choked sound from ahead of him, and he sees Barnes standing there, handgun loosely dangling from one hand. This time the blush is blooming bright and fast across his face, and it’s very clear why when his icy blue eyes snap up from Clint’s hips guiltily. 

Suddenly Barnes is scrambling to put his gun away and get his gear together like he’s going to bolt again. Clint is four cups of coffee deep this morning, but he still doesn’t feel caffeinated enough to deal with having a teammate avoid him, so he wanders right into Barnes’ space as casually as he can manage. Barnes stills when Clint stops to stand right in front of him, but his eyes are clearly scanning for escape routes. Clint sets a gentle hand on the shorter man’s elbow before taking a few deep calming breaths, and Barnes breathes with him almost automatically.

“So, Barnes. You wanna tell me what’s up?” Clint pairs the statement with what he knows is a winning grin, the one that sometimes even gets Nat to give in to his whims.

“It’s really weird, Barton.” Now that Clint has him somewhat cornered, he’s all steel spine and murder glare. The image is ruined a little because the guy hasn’t stopped blushing yet, but Clint gives him points for trying.

“Dude we literally fought off aliens riding little dog shaped robots last week, is it weirder than that?”

“...okay well. No I guess not.” 

“Then out with it.” Clint doesn’t even feel bad for letting a little command into his voice, he knows it usually helps get him what he wants. What he wants is to know why this world class assassin is going from hugging him to avoiding him in the span of a few early morning hours.

Barnes ducks his head and mumbles a reply. Clint can’t catch the words, so he uses a finger to tip Barnes’ dark scruffed chin up, forgetting for a moment that he’s only done that before in dreams. When Barnes’ eyes meet Clint’s, the pupils are blown wide. Clint wonders for a second if the guy is actually scared of him somehow. 

“I’ve been dreaming about you.” The words come tumbling out of Barnes’ mouth almost too fast to follow, and he turns another shade redder. Clint admires the way the tips of his ears pink up for a second before the words make sense in his brain.

“Wait, what?” 

Barnes shifts like he’s uncomfortable but he doesn’t make any move to actually get away from Clint. He looks slowly at the points of contact of their bodies, Clint’s hands casually on him like they belong there. 

Barnes sighs deeply like he’s collecting himself, “Every night almost. You’re just there. Like we’re hanging out in my dreams. I know it’s stupid, I just..” then he’s trailing off at the look in Clint’s eyes.

Clint feels off balance, last night’s dream flashes vividly into his mind. The dream had gone a little differently than usual. Their time spent on the dream-rooftop wrapped closely in blankets had gone quickly from friendly to passionate, and Dream Clint certainly appreciated the contrast of Dream Barnes’ soft lips and scruffy jaw. Before he can let himself follow the thread of the dream further, he gives himself a little shake and focuses back on Barnes’ concerned face.

“Were we on the rooftop, Buck?” Clint cringes a little at the nickname, realizing it’s something he only uses for Dream Barnes, but the other man sways a little closer to him at the sound of it.

“Yeah, Clint, we were. What the fuck?” Bucky punctuates his question by tilting his face into Clint’s hand, the same way he did in last night’s dream. Clint caresses his jaw easily, lets his nails scrape across the stubble in the way he suspects Real Bucky likes, and is rewarded by Bucky’s eyes fluttering a little closed.

“You ever get hit with any blue light bullshit?” Clint asks when Bucky focuses back on his face.

“Uh.. honestly I don’t know, probably at some point?” Bucky waves a hand to encompass the oddity that is their lives, and lets it fall to Clint’s hip.

“Okay, fair point. Can I try something? Just… let me know if I’m way off base, alright?” 

Bucky nods his assent and Clint leans in across the little space left between them, presses his lips gently to Bucky’s. They’re almost the same as dreaming, but infinitely better when Bucky gasps softly and Clint flicks his tongue out across his bottom lip. They trade a few soft exploratory kisses between them before Clint is pulling back, breath short and skin buzzing. He lets his forehead press against Bucky’s while he collects himself a little. 

Before Clint can figure out what the right thing to say to your teammate slash crush slash dream buddy is, Bucky is grinning up at him. “Hey you wanna go play video games for real? I bet I can kick your ass in Mario Cart.”

Clint bursts into pleased laughter and kisses the top of Bucky’s head like he can’t quite help it, “Yeah, you’re on!” 

They detangle from one another and Clint gives Bucky a few moments to get his gear settled before he leads the way back to his rooms. He knows this is going to be way better than just dreaming.


End file.
